Is your swimming pool turning green or cloudy, or do you have other signs of algae (yellow, black or pink spots) or some other swimming pool issue?
If so, acting quickly is important. Getting rid of an algae problem and keeping it gone can be a challenge. The sooner you intervene, the better.
Don't despair, even if your green swimming pool resembles a duck pond, we can likely get it cleaned up in just a few days.
What Is Algae?
Algae are single or multi-cellular organisms. They are technically not plants even though they photosynthesize like plants. Algae can be green, yellow or black.
Algae itself is not dangerous, however if algae is living in your swimming pool, it's a good indication that other harmful organisms such as bacteria and viruses, may also be able to survive and grow and that's bad (plus, a green swimming pool just looks gross).
Algae lives everywhere, including around your swimming pool, on your lanai and probably even on your swimming pool floats and toys.
Here in Florida, when temperatures rise in the spring and summer we get calls from swimming pool owners whose swimming pools are turning green. All winter, they (or their pool guy) have been able to look after the swimming pool with no problems. Suddenly the swimming pool is turning green and they can't seem to get a handle on it.
Given ideal conditions, algae can actually double every 20 minutes, so even if the conditions in your swimming pool aren't exactly "ideal" (from algae's point of view), you can still end up with a green swimming pool pretty quickly.
Why Did My Swimming Pool Turn Green?
Equipment failures can very quickly lead to a green swimming pool. If you have a clogged filter or a problem with your swimming pool's circulation system, it's important to have it repaired as soon as possible.
Vacant homes or those whose swimming pools have been neglected for a while often have green swimming pools.
Other times, even swimming pools that have been well cared for can suddenly start to turn green. This is more likely to happen if your filter is on the smaller side (we see undersized filters a lot), when swimming pool pumps are on for an insufficient amount of time (you should plan to turn over your entire swimming pool twice each day - click here for a calculator), or when your swimming pool equipment or pool surface starts to age.
How Much Will It Cost To Clean Up?
The cost for cleaning up a green swimming pool can vary and we'll probably need to speak to you and ask you some questions before we give you a quote. This can usually be done over the phone in just a few minutes.
Cleaning up a green swimming pool involves multiple visits over the course of a week or two. Usually we can have your swimming pool looking great in just a few days. We'll need to really ramp up your swimming pool chemical concentrations, brush and vacuum your swimming pool several times and clean your filter diligently every day or two until the algae is dead and removed. You'll need to wait until the chlorine concentrations are back within a safe swimming range before you can use the swimming pool again.
Will You Need To Drain The Swimming Pool?
No, it's not usually necessary to drain a green swimming pool in order to restore it back to its former glory. If the swimming pool has been green for a long time, or if there are other problems that have caused staining on the swimming pool surface, it may be necessary to drain the swimming pool to remove the stains, but even in those cases, there are usually other things we can try first.
If your green swimming pool is giving you the blues, give us a call and let us make it right. We'll get you back in the swimming pool sipping umbrella drinks in no time.
